Spanish Cardinal warns of grave consequences of keeping Christ out of schools

Madrid, Spain, Nov 18, 2004 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Commenting on the proposed changes to educational policies by Spain’s Socialist government, Archbishop Antonio Cañizares Llovera of Toledo warned this Monday in Madrid that the proposals would only “make the broken culture of our time worse” by departing further from “the authentic view of man.”

Speaking to some 400 people who attended a Mass for the 140th anniversary of two local schools, the Archbishop pointed out as well that attempts to “exclude Christ from schools” lead to “the loss of the human person.”

Archbishop Cañizares argued that Jesus Christ “is the key to seeing and understanding that great and fundamental reality which is man. One cannot understand and see man fully without Christ. One cannot understand who man is, what his true dignity is, or what his vocation is or his final destiny.”

Consequently, the Archbishop stated, “The meaning of a Christian presence in education” is “to lead children and young people to the light that is Christ.”

“To erase Him from mankind’s history is an act against man,” and therefore “we cannot exclude Christ from the schools,”

Immense task of reconstruction

During his homily, Archbishop Cañizares underscored that “in the countries of ancient Christian tradition such as Spain, an immense task of reconstruction is needed.”

Nevertheless, he emphasized that “there will be no reconstruction of a human world without a new evangelization,” and he stated that “it is urgent that new generations come or return to the school of Christ to discover the true meaning being men and women or the profound meaning of key words and realities such as peace, love and justice.”

“The task is enormous, but we have all of the reasons in the world to be hopeful: in the midst of today’s difficulties, the drama of the human heart remains, and that human heart was created for encountering Christ; man’s eyes were made to see the light and to be open to the truth that is Christ,” he said.

Lastly, the Archbishop exhorted teachers “not to be stuck in ideals and values, as attractive as they may be.” “He who does not encounter the very person of Jesus Christ and does not entrust himself to Him has not fully understood himself in all of his depth and grandeur,” Archbishop Cañizares said.